Internet of things (IoT)-based microwell solution for irrigation

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing Internet of Things (“IoT”)-based microwell solution for irrigation. In various embodiments, in response to receiving, from the plurality of sensors, first sensor data indicative of environmental conditions within an area, a computing system may analyze the first sensor data to determine parameters associated with water requirements within the area, may generate a water distribution plan based at least in part on the determined parameters, and may map the generated water distribution plan to a positional map of a plurality of microwells disposed at pre-installed locations within the area. The computing system may generate and send instructions to the microwells to pump water from an underground water source(s) (in some cases, surface water sources as well) and to irrigate plants or crops in the area using integrated irrigation systems, based on the mapping. The microwells and sensors may utilize IoT functionalities.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving, using a computing system and from a plurality of sensors, first sensor data, the first sensor data being indicative of environmental conditions within a first area; 
 analyzing, using the computing system, the first sensor data to determine one or more first parameters associated with water requirements within the first area; 
 generating, using the computing system, a first water distribution plan for the first area based at least in part on the determined one or more first parameters; 
 mapping, using the computing system, the generated first water distribution plan for the first area to a positional map of a plurality of microwells disposed in a corresponding plurality of pre-installed locations within the first area, each microwell comprising a pump, an integrated irrigation system, and a wireless communications system for communicating with the computing system via a transceiver; 
 generating, using the computing system, first command instructions for each microwell among the plurality of microwells to pump water from an underground water source and to irrigate a portion of the first area using the integrated irrigation system, based at least in part on the mapping of the generated first water distribution plan to the positional map of the plurality of microwells, the first command instructions for each microwell comprising instructions for at least one of direction of irrigation from said microwell, angle of water dispersion along the direction of irrigation, distance of irrigation from said microwell, amount of water to disperse from said microwell, rate of water dispersion from said microwell, or timing of irrigation for said microwell; 
 sending, using the computing system via the transceiver, the generated first command instructions to each microwell among the plurality of microwells; 
 receiving, using the computing system and from one or more second sensors, second sensor data, the second sensor data being indicative of environmental conditions within the first area prior to installation of the plurality of microwells within the first area; 
 analyzing, using the computing system, the second sensor data to determine one or more second parameters associated with water requirements within the first area; 
 generating, using the computing system, a second water distribution plan for the first area based at least in part on the determined one or more second parameters; 
 mapping, using the computing system, the generated second water distribution plan for the first area to a geographical map of the first area; 
 analyzing, using the computing system, the mapping of the generated second water distribution plan to the geographical map of the first area to determine placement of each of the plurality of microwells within the first area, wherein the determined placement corresponds to the plurality of pre-installed locations of the plurality of microwells; 
 generating, using the computing system, the positional map of the plurality of microwells within the first area based on the determined placement of each of the plurality of microwells within the first area; and 
 sending, using the computing system, the generated positional map of the plurality of microwells within the first area to at least one of a user device associated with a user or a navigation system of a device configured to install each microwell within the first area. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system comprises at least one of a farm management computing system, a crop management computing system, a lawn management computing system, an irrigation control system, a microwell control system, a server computer, a cloud computing system, or a distributed computing system. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor data comprises at least one of humidity sensor data, soil moisture sensor data, ground water sensor data, water flow sensor data, clog sensor data, water pump sensor data, irrigation system sensor data, temperature sensor data, wind sensor data, weather sensor data, slope sensor data, topography sensor data, light sensor data, light intensity sensor data, image sensor data, video sensor data, object orientation sensor data, surface orientation sensor data, plant monitoring sensor data, motion sensor data, infrared sensor data, or pest detector data. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first area comprises at least one of an agricultural field, a farm, a plot of land, a crop field, a sod farm, a residential lawn, a commercial lawn, a residential garden, or a commercial garden. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more first parameters associated with water requirements comprise at least one of humidity level, soil moisture level, water table depth, water table slope, water flow amount, water run-off characteristics, water evaporation rate, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, weather conditions, slope, topography, sun intensity level, orientation of objects, orientation of surfaces, plant color, plant size, plant shape, plant growth indicators, plant wilting indicators, or presence of pests. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one microwell is fluidly coupled to an adjacent microwell among the plurality of microwells via a fluid pipe and via fluid connections between a well cap of one fluidly coupled microwell and a well cap of another fluidly coupled microwell to form a network of connected microwells, wherein the fluid pipe is configured to transport first fluids between the fluidly coupled microwells using at least one transport pump disposed at one or more fluidly coupled microwells, wherein the first fluids comprise at least one of water, fertilizer in a fluid medium, plant growth enhancers in a fluid medium, or insecticide in a fluid medium. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the network of connected microwells fluidly couple with a combination of one or more underground water sources and one or more surface water sources, wherein the network of connected microwells is fluidly coupled with each underground water source via one of the plurality of microwells, wherein the network of connected microwells is fluidly coupled with each surface water source via at least one surface water pump in fluid communication with each surface water source and via a corresponding fluid pipe in fluid communication with at least one microwell in the network of connected microwells. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more second sensors comprise a percolation test sensor, wherein the percolation test sensor is used to measure a rate at which water percolates through a portion of soil in each of one or more locations throughout the first area. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one second sensor among the one or more second sensors, wherein the at least one second sensor comprises a third sensor, wherein the third sensor is disposed in an aerial drone that is configured to fly over the first area to collect sensor data indicative of at least one of environmental conditions, topographical features, geographical features, plantable areas, water features, land features, plant-life, or wildlife within the first area. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system autonomously communicates with each microwell among the plurality of microwells and with each of the plurality of sensors using Internet of Things (“IoT”)-based communications protocols. 
     
     
       11. A system, comprising:
 a plurality of sensors; 
 a plurality of microwells disposed in a corresponding plurality of pre-installed locations within a first area, each microwell comprising a pump, an integrated irrigation system, and a wireless communications system for communicating with a computing system via a transceiver; and 
 the computing system, comprising: 
 at least one first processor; and 
 a first non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one first processor, the first non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a first set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the computing system to: 
 receive, from the plurality of sensors, first sensor data, the first sensor data being indicative of environmental conditions within the first area; 
 analyze the first sensor data to determine one or more first parameters associated with water requirements within the first area; 
 generate a first water distribution plan for the first area based at least in part on the determined one or more first parameters; 
 map the generated first water distribution plan for the first area to a positional map of the plurality of microwells disposed in the corresponding plurality of pre-installed locations within the first area; 
 generate first command instructions for each microwell among the plurality of microwells to pump water from an underground water source and to irrigate a portion of the first area using the integrated irrigation system, based at least in part on the mapping of the generated first water distribution plan to the positional map of the plurality of microwells, the first command instructions for each microwell comprising instructions for at least one of direction of irrigation from said microwell, angle of water dispersion along the direction of irrigation, distance of irrigation from said microwell, amount of water to disperse from said microwell, rate of water dispersion from said microwell, or timing of irrigation for said microwell; 
 send, via the transceiver, the generated first command instructions to each microwell among the plurality of microwells; 
 receive, from one or more second sensors, second sensor data, the second sensor data being indicative of environmental conditions within the first area prior to installation of the plurality of microwells within the first area; 
 analyze the second sensor data to determine one or more second parameters associated with water requirements within the first area; 
 generate a second water distribution plan for the first area based at least in part on the determined one or more second parameters; 
 mapping the generated second water distribution plan for the first area to a geographical map of the first area; 
 analyzing the mapping of the generated second water distribution plan to the geographical map of the first area to determine placement of each of the plurality of microwells within the first area, wherein the determined placement corresponds to the plurality of pre-installed locations of the plurality of microwells; 
 generating the positional map of the plurality of microwells within the first area based on the determined placement of each of the plurality of microwells within the first area; and 
 sending the generated positional map of the plurality of microwells within the first area to at least one of a user device associated with a user or a navigation system of a device configured to install each microwell within the first area. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computing system comprises at least one of a farm management computing system, a crop management computing system, a lawn management computing system, an irrigation control system, a microwell control system, a server computer, a cloud computing system, or a distributed computing system. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computing system autonomously communicates with each microwell among the plurality of microwells and with each of the plurality of sensors using Internet of Things (“IoT”)-based communications protocols.